


Failed Covert Present Operations

by allsassnoclass (brightblackholes)



Series: Ficmas 2020 [3]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Banter, Christmas, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28369347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightblackholes/pseuds/allsassnoclass
Summary: Ashton is caught snooping in the presents.
Relationships: Calum Hood/Ashton Irwin
Series: Ficmas 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071215
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Failed Covert Present Operations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [humanluke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanluke/gifts).



> First cashton! conceptually I love them in practice I think I'm still figuring out how to write them
> 
> Requested by Mandie

Calum had been dozing with Duke in a sunspot on the sofa when a sharp, obnoxious wailing startles him awake, oscillating like a siren but entirely too loud. Duke starts yipping and howling next to him, equally startled and significantly more displeased, aggravating Calum’s ears even more. Duke climbs over him and puts a well-placed paw right in his spleen, and Calum is once again thankful that he fell in love with such a small dog at the shelter.

“Ashton!” Calum calls, heaving himself up and heading to their bedroom. Ashton sits on the floor grimacing, fiddling with the motion detector that’s causing all of this racket. It’s a little louder than Calum had anticipated when he bought it and set it up, but it’s worth it for the alarm in Ashton’s eyes.

“Turn it off, please,” Ashton sighs once he notices him standing in the doorway wincing. It’s loud enough with the siren and Duke’s crying that Calum can’t clearly hear the words, but Ashton holds the tiny device out to him and he gets the message. Calum takes it and enters the code to turn it off. Ashton reaches for Duke and manages to placate him with some well-placed scratches behind his ears until he’s relatively calm and still.

The silence that follows is deafening. Calum pops his ears in the hopes that they’ll stop ringing.

“So,” Calum says once Ashton has started squirming under what Calum hopes is a very judgemental stare. “You were snooping in the presents.”

“You _booby-trapped--_ ”

“Because you do this every fucking year!” Calum shouts. Duke starts howling again and Ashton resumes petting him until he stops.

“We have a dog, Calum,” Ashton says. “What would’ve happened if he had been the one sniffing around, hm? He’s got sensitive ears.”

“Duke never goes under the bed,” Calum says. “That’s why it’s a perfect place to hide the presents, unless _someone_ decides to snoop.”

“If you really wanted to hide the presents from me, you’d find somewhere else to put them. It’s a big house! There are lots of hiding places!”

“But then I wouldn’t get to see your face when I caught you snooping.”

Ashton pouts. He’s still sitting cross-legged on the floor and hugging a wriggling Duke close to him, and Calum figures this must be what preschool teachers deal with every day. Ashton is plenty youthful, but this is one of the only times he makes Calum feel like he’s handling a toddler. He sighs and sits down next to him, flipping the bedskirt down to cover the boxes and bags stacked underneath, contents inside waiting to be wrapped or placed in stockings.

“Is it too much to ask that you respect the holiday process and wait until Christmas day to get your presents?” he asks, leaning into him. “Maybe I want to see your reaction to the gifts, huh? You ever think of that?”

“I know,” Ashton says. “What if you get me something bad and I need to prepare so I can look happy instead?”

Calum shoves him, sending Duke skittering out of the room and Ashton laughing.

“Fuck you. I give great presents and you know it.”

“You do,” Ashton agrees, always ready to cave in his teasing too early when it comes to Calum. “Maybe I’m snooping so I can steal your gift ideas for everyone else.”

“You just give people whatever they say they want when you ask them. Besides, stealing gift ideas when I’ve already bought something is really shitty and I’d break up with you if you tried.”

Ashton hums.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” he says.

“No, we wouldn’t,” Calum says. “I like having you around and would hate to have you ruin that by stealing my gift ideas.”

“Fine. I won’t do that then.”

“Are you going to admit that you’re an impatient idiot who couldn’t wait another week to get his presents?”

“That’s a bit rude,” Ashton says. “I confess to no crime except for curiosity and the need to sate it.”

“You’re the worst.”

“And yet you keep putting up with me,” Ashton says, leaning over and pressing a kiss to the side of Calum’s head. Calum rolls his eyes.

“If you admit to it, I’ll give you something,” he proposes.

“Oh?” Ashton asks. “Like one of those gifts you’re guarding so closely?”

“Ha, ha, no. Like a kiss.”

“Oh, in that case--” Ashton stands.

“Wait,” Calum scrambles, grabbing his hands and keeping him from walking away. “Are you saying my kisses aren’t worth anything?”

“They’re priceless, sweetheart,” Ashton says, “but I still have my pride.”

“You mean your stubbornness.”

Ashton shrugs.

“Come on,” Calum says, adjusting his grip on Ashton’s hands. “Admit that you’re impatient and promise not to look until Christmas and I’ll give you infinite kisses.”

“Raising the stakes,” Ashton says. “I could consider it.”

“I can be distracting enough that you won’t have time to think about the presents.”

“You think very highly of yourself,” Ashton laughs.

“It’s nothing you haven’t told me before,” Calum says. He lets his gaze sweep down Ashton’s body, flicking his eyes back up to Ashton’s face to be met with an unimpressed expression.

“You’re not going to seduce me, you know. I know all of your tricks by now. I’m immune.”

“I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. I can show you, if you want.”

Ashton considers for a long moment. Calum bites his lip and waits him out.

He hopes Ashton says yes. With the bustle of the holiday season, they haven’t a lot of time just for the two of them. Calum doesn’t miss him or anything, because they still see each other every day, but he does miss private moments between them. It’s always fun to lock Duke out of the bedroom for a few hours.

“Okay,” Ashton says. “I admit it. My failed reconnaissance mission was because I’m impatient, but I won’t snoop any more this year. Happy?”

“Very,” Calum says. He uncrosses his legs and puts his feet flat on the floor. Ashton gently steps on his toes to keep his socks from slipping on the hardwood and hauls him to standing, not bothering to step back despite how close they are.

“Now,” Ashton says, looping his arms around Calum’s waist, “I believe you promised me something.”

“Did I?” Calum asks, bumping their noses together. Ashton smiles, a hair's breadth away.

“You tease,” he says. Calum takes pity and finally closes the gap between them. Ashton’s lips are dry, stubble gently scratching against his face the closer they press together. Calum buries his hands in his hair, swiping his thumb against the sensitive area right behind Ashton’s ear and is rewarded with a tongue pressing against the seam of his lips.

Calum’s last thought before letting himself be fully lost in the kiss is that he’s glad Ashton hasn’t found any of his other hiding places. There’s a ring box somewhere in the house that he won’t be getting until the new year.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [allsassnoclass!](http://allsassnoclass.tumblr.com)


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